Fated
by BlackTiger6
Summary: "Don't give up," I sobbed into my hands. He caught my face and stroked my cheek, smiling sadly. "How can I not?" he asked quietly, his voice shaky, "I'm already leaving." Another sob racked my body. "Don't leave me!" But his eyes were closing; one thing could bring him back now, and it was just the thing I denied him to back in the clearing. I closed my eyes and kissed him.
1. Chapter 1

**"Miracles happen all day, every day...**

**But you have to look to find them"**

**Tiger**

* * *

I looked around the pub, my hood low down. My ale gripped tightly, I stood and crossed the room to the door. I didn't want to stay here, it had a feeling of tension and quietness. It was eerily calm, and any person who talked kept it hushed and quiet. Swiftly walking through the crowd, I made it to the door in no time. I grasped the knob, but before I turned, I turned and surveyed the crowd. Seventeen. Exactly the way it should be. Without another thought, I slipped out of the pub and closed the door softly, unaware of the eyes watching me curiously.

On the street, I flipped my hood down and released my tumble of black hair. While instinct told me to keep it up, I just couldn't. Inside, I felt small and stifled, opposed to my normal bold and free. I jogged down the street, the cobblestones smooth but uneven below me. One glance at the sky told me it was late, and it was dangerous out on these roads at nightfall. Turning a corner, the Weeping Sheep came into view. I slowed to a walk, snorting at the name of the inn I was staying at once again. Who, by Mahal, would name an inn Weeping Sheep? Pulling my hood back up, I opened the door and stepped in, my guard slipping. I nodded a greeting to the Innkeeper and deliberately made my way up the stairs. Making sure I was quiet as I crept down the creaking hallway as not to wake other residents, I made it to my room in fairly good time. It was shabby, but it was all I could afford. I bolted the door behind me and unclasped my coat, hanging it up on a chair and sitting on my bed to pull my worn boots off. Stretching, I went to a mirror to do my hair again.

However embarrassing, I was part dwarf, so I loved to braid my hair. A part of me yearned for a beard... and the other part of me thought that was absolutely ugly. I almost never cut my hair either, so it fell to my mid-back. Perhaps it was time to cut my hair, and while I debated about it, I braided strands of my hair and looped them around each other in a complex design. Since my hair was straight, it made it easy to ornament it with braids. My eyes darted outside, and saw the sun setting in an array of colors. Walking over to the window, I pulled the shades closed and sat on my bed. I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Something felt wrong, and I wasn't going to sleep while something was. It was to dangerous. Call me whatever, but it just felt so _wrong_. I smacked the mattress. Oh, I wish I had my swords! I'd lost in a skirmish with trolls, and I couldn't go back to get them, but they would have helped me feel more defended. Now I only had a long dagger, Braig, not as good as a sword, but better than nothing.

A knock sounded, and I jumped, senses alert. Slipping Braig into is sheath, I walked to the door. _Who would be out at this hour?_ I wondered and narrowed my eyes. "Who is it?" I called, hand on my hilt.

"Lass, you better open up," a voice commanded, and my heart froze. My mouth opened slightly, and my eyes widened.

Sure I was dreaming, I cleared my throat and questioned, "Speak again?"

A long sigh of exasperation. "Lassie, I know you heard just fine. Open up the door," a pause, and then an addition, "It's me, Kara."

"That can't be possible," I whispered, over and over. Stumbling backwards, my back collided with the wall.

"Kara, it is possible, and I've company with me, so could you just open the blasted door?" the man all but growled, and I cautiously made my way over to the door, half looking forward to this meeting, and half not dreading it. Hand dropping from Braig, I reached out and touched the metal of the knob. Gulping, I twisted it around, the room so silent all I could hear were my ragged, hitching breaths, and the wind. The door creaked open, revealing _him_. His beard was freshly braided, beads and all, and he was wearing his old, leather coat. It brought back a flood of memories. Me curling up on his chest. Him telling me of the Lonely Mountain. Me asking, 'What did it look like?'

He would answer, 'It was a beautiful, beautiful place. As Mordor is a place of hell, and Erebor is the top of heaven.'

And then I would ask, 'What was the dragon like?'

He would shift around and shake his head. 'That is a story for another day.' Despite my protests, he would hustle me off to bed, and I would lay awake all night, thinking of my question unanswered.

And then there was the day I was taken from him. In an orc raid right after the attempt for Moria, he locked me in my room. Idiot... he forgot to close the window. I supposed I was an idiot too... I didn't close it either. I was dragged out of my home, and miles away, I could still hear his anguished cry. I winced at the sound, and looked him up and down. His boots were matching mine... wonderful. I supposed we had something in common after all, and his hat was for warmth and comfort, obviously not for beauty. And then I couldn't help it, I jumped into his arms like I had done so many years ago.

"My darling Kara," he kissed the top of my head, barely away from a sob. I, even, could feel tears burning my eyes, threatening to spill.

I then uttered the word I hadn't in so long. "Oh, Father."

* * *

**Hey guys! I wrote this one for my sister... and Kara has the characteristic traits that my sister does. Heck, her name even sounds like it. Moderately. Close to. Almost. Okay, it doesn't, but she would be like it.**

**Of course, this is a major hypothetical that never happened, so, you can only expect the best from me.**

**The rest of the chapters will be longer, and this one was really a prologue, so don't expect them to be this short all the time. I'll update whenever I can, but don't get into a habit with me.**

**And the usual stuff: I don't own any of the Hobbit except Kara, my OC's, and... my OC's. Please review, follow, favorite... I could really use your advice or critiques. Thank you!**

**Btw, I changed my name to BlackTiger6, if you didn't know. I hope I didn't confuse you guys.**

**Tiger**


	2. Chapter 2

**"If you never forgive,**

**You'll never forget."**

* * *

_I then uttered the word I hadn't in so long. "Oh, Father."_

* * *

I didn't let go. I was taken from him once, and that was more than enough. Pressing my nose into his coat, I breathed in. It smelled of sweat and horse, but I didn't care. _When did Father ever smell different?_ I closed my eyes, cherishing the feeling of his arms around me in an iron hold, as if to make sure I wouldn't get taken from him ever again. An amused, loving voice broke the silence, and my eyes popped open. No way. "Well, nice place you have here, Kara."

"Balin!" I greeted him, breaking away from Father's embrace and giving Balin one. It was kind of awkward, because I had to bend down to hug him properly. What could I say? I was as tall as 4:9, while Balin stood at a 4:6. I eyed their bulging bags, questions bubbling in my head. "How are you? What are you doing here? Why are you traveling? Anybody else in your group? Where are you going? Who are _you_?" that was directed to the third member that I just saw. To the fourth member, I asked, "And, who are _you_?"

Father laughed heartily. "Slow down, lassie. May we come in?"

"Of course," I replied, kicking myself because I didn't ask them to come in. Holding the door open, the dwarves filed in, and I closed the door behind them. Walking in the middle of my room, I saw all my chairs had been used up. Sighing, I opted to sit on the bed rather than stand. "So..." I trailed of meaningfully.

Father exhaled in exasperation. "All right, Kara. I'm fine."

"Agreed," Balin had taken out his pipe sometime, and was now smoking it absentmindedly around the fire. I glared at the other dwarves to make sure that they knew the question wasn't for them, and they flinched.

"What are you doing here?" I repeated, eager to know the answer.

"Picking up you," Balin answered, so calm throughout the process that I would have been impressed... if I wasn't choking.

"And why is that?" I breathed out heavily, shocked and surprised at the same time, if those weren't the same thing.

Father replied, this time. "For an adventure." his tight, tense face showed me that he had argued against me coming, and I felt oddly sad. He didn't believe I could do it. Then again, dwarves cherish their women, so could it just be that? I couldn't help but smile as another thought appeared. _Someone_ had stuck up for me... sadly, I didn't know who it was, so I couldn't thank him. Or her, for that matter.

"Ooh, what is it?" the room became very silent. The two extra dwarves, which I had payed no attention to earlier, seemed to be glaring at Balin and Father. I glared back at them. _No one _could glare at Father, no on _except_ me, of course. They didn't seem to see my glower at all, so I marked them as both naive and ignorant. "Come on!"

"Kara, we can't exactly," Father looked uncomfortable, "we can't say here. We'll tell you, should you choose to come, at the meeting."

I rolled my eyes, my elation deflating. "Seriously? You expect me to go on a quest I don't even know about? I thought you knew me better," I held up my hands sadly, "sorry. You can stay and rest for however long you would like," I offered, and Balin sighed, rubbing his beard.

"You're acting like a child," he informed me.

"And you're acting like I'm stupid!" I shot back, "Going on a quest I don't even know? What if your quest was to take over Mordor? What if it was something extremely risky and something that deserved thought before I pledged myself!"

The third dwarf spoke up, his face masked in shadow. "She's got a point. Maybe we should tell her."

Father growled, "You know what he told us. Don't tell anyone."

The fourth dwarf stroked his chin, because his beard didn't exist. Literally, he had a stubble and a failure of a mustache. "No, Dwalin, he said don't tell anyone if they don't swear to keep it a secret," turning to me, the dark haired dwarf asked, "So will you swear?"

A smile grew on my face. So I could go on this quest after all; they would tell me what it was. "I swear," I vowed, leaning forward eagerly to hear about it. Father and Balin shared a look, and Father exhaled, noticing all eyes on him.

"The quest is-" he stumbled, "the quest is to reclaim Erebor." That's where I choked, falling into a coughing fit. After the 'secret' was out, the room was darker, the silence tenser as they waited for my response. I quickly searched the dwarves' faces. Balin was curious and expectant, his white beard orange in the firelight. Father was intimidating and looming, the expression patient and hopeful. I knew how he felt; after years of thinking he was dead, he wanted all the time he could have with me, except, country comes before family. The dark haired dwarf seemed amused, his soft brown eyes mischievous, and his pathetic beard not even visible in the dim room. The lion haired dwarf with the blond hair, and slightly bigger beard had the expression on his face of interest.

Breathing in shakily, I muttered weakly, "I told you that the quest would be risky." No duh, they were about to attempt to kill a dragon, reclaim Erebor, and start up the country with _four_ dwarves? A flash of memory came back to me as I remembered a part of their conversation.

_"You know what he told us. Don't tell anyone."_

_"No, Dwalin, he said don't tell anyone if they don't swear to keep it a secret."_

Ah, _five_ dwarves. And if I said yes, _six_. I spluttered. That would never, _never_ work. And besides... who was this He, they spoke of? It would have to be someone who could rule... like on of the princes, or, heck, even the great Thorin Oakenshield himself. I snorted at the thought. Thorin wouldn't risk his, and these brave dwarves', lives, to get a home back. Why couldn't they create a new home instead of an old one? Like, Moria, or Ered Luin, but not Erebor. That was just plain stupid. Sighing, I broke the silence. "I'll go." the room let out a tense breath, but I held up a finger sternly, "but only if..." I trailed off to get a rise out of them.

"If..." the lion-hair prodded.

"You tell me..." I did it again.

"Tell you what?" the dark-hair snapped.

"Who..." and again.

"For goodness sake lass, tell us what you want to know!" Balin cried.

"This..." and again. This was the last time though, if I could get a rise out of Father.

"Kara, what do you want to know?" he exhaled tiredly.

"Onlyifyoutellmewhothis'he'is," I rushed.

"Say what?" the dark-hair dwarf puzzled.

"Only if you tell me who this 'he' is," I pronounced each word carefully, so they understood me.

"Oh," Father smiled, "He is-"

* * *

**Even though it was a cliffhanger, I'm pretty sure you know who 'he' is. If you don't... sorry! It was a good place to stop. Please remember to review, follow, and favorite! Thank you whoever did and will do, I really appreciate them. It makes my heart sing!**

**Tiger**


	3. Chapter 3

**"Don't let anything get to your head,**

**Or you will lose your cool,**

**And if your emotions rise out of check,**

**Then you will lose the battle too."**

* * *

_"Oh," Father smiled, "He is-"_

* * *

Oh, I was so stupid. So so stupid. Seriously, I couldn't have guessed who "He" was? No duh he was King Under the Mountain. Who'd have the nerve to take back Erebor otherwise, and face Thorin's wrath? "Oh," I responded sheepishly. "And why? With six dwarves?"

Balin rebuked me, "Oh, no, lass, it's thirteen dwarves. Fourteen now that you've joined." Ah, so it was fourteen. But, what the heck, against a dragon? Not much of a difference there. It wasn't looking so good, so far. "And, well, Smaug hasn't been seen for nigh sixty years, and people are beginning to wonder what happened to all that treasure hidden underneath our halls. They are becoming greedy, and soon, may try for the mountain themselves."

"Like that makes the difference," I muttered softly, and then, loud enough for all of them to hear, declared, "Any more people? Fourteen dwarves against a dragon is suicidal. The odds aren't in your favor."

"We know," the fair haired dwarf stated bluntly, "but that doesn't stop us from trying! We'll get our mountain back, if it be the last thing we do!"

"Which, undoubtedly, it probably is," I flashed back, "I'm in. I've yet to see the splendor of Erebor. What's in it for me?" hey, before I risked dying, I needed some reward.

Dwalin looked amused. "Kara, you are turning into a fine barterer," he marveled. Shaking his head, he replied, "Some gold. I grant that you don't want much, or do you?" he sounded generally curious, but there was that tone in his voice that warned me not to stray too far.

Not to go against my father, I admitted, "It would make my life a whole lot better. But I don't need gold as much as full-blooded dwarves. I manage with trade, but a bit of an income would be welcome."

"Full-blooded dwarf?" the lion asked incredulously. "You're not a full dwarf?"

I paused, before answering. "No. I'm half human, therefore, the no beard," I explained, motioning to my bare chin.

"So... _Dwalin_!" he snapped, "You tricked us!"

"She's just as much right to go as you do, and please, lower your voice when talking to my daughter," my father ordered, but his voice had a soft edge to it. I smirked at him, and he sent a sharp look to me.

"Uncle's going to be upset," the other dwarf muttered.

"He knows her, a bit," Balin responded. This was when I broke in.

"Guys- who're _they_?" I asked irritably, pointing at the two brothers.

Balin stroked his beard, orange in the firelight, "Ah. Those would be Fili and Kili."

I gagged. "You mean... the _princes_?" Now it was Fili's, I think, turn to smirk at me, and I scowled. "I'm so sorry, I forgot to prepare a royal welcome. Would you like me to get you a royal carriage?"

"Yes please," Kili said, just at the same time Dwalin rebuked:

"Kara!"

"Sheesh, alright, I'm sorry. I just didn't know I was in the presence of royalty," I snipped sarcastically.

"Does that mean you'll treat us better?" Fili interrogated innocently.

"_No_," I shot back, brushing black hair from my eyes. His blue eyes, so like mine, were sparking. It hurt to focus on them, so I turned to the other dwarf. His were easier to make contact with than the other one's, maybe because his were plainer? "Alright, _maybe_. Just don't ruin anything. _And_, I call the bed."

Kili grinned at me and mock bowed. "Why thank you, fair maiden. We warriors are used to sleeping on the ground."

"You? A warrior?" I teased, lying down.

"Of course. Don't I look like one?" he posed dramatically, and his brother snorted.

"Warrior or not," Father growled, "we all need our sleep. Settle down. Especially you, Kara."

"Alright," I surrendered, and scrambled into my warm bed, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Dwalin called back, and in the dim firelight, they slowly drifted off to sleep, lulled by the slow wind rattling the leaves and the sound of our breathing. But while they slept comfortably, I found myself awake, pondering about today. My thoughts turned from the day at the pub, to Father appearing. _How had he found me? Why did he care? Did he know where I was all along? I don't care. We're together. I'm not alone._

Slowly, my thoughts faced the princes. Fili, his princely grace and pride, just got on my nerves. I don't know what it was- maybe his challenges, or his attitude? But all I knew was I'd have some fun with that. After all, wasn't I the same? And Kili, his brotherly affection and teasing, was something _different_. His beard was pathetic, he was too slim and tall, and he didn't have much pride. Was he part human? _Oh, Kara! Duh, no! He's a prince! He _can't _be part _human_, the dwarves would have something to say about that. And Dis would never allow it, I think._

I was brought out of my thoughts by a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw the smiling face of Father. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No," I smiled at him, and he sat down beside me. "I guess too much has happened today."

"I can understand," he replied abruptly and I sighed with exasperation. He would never change, but then again, did I _want _him to change?

"Can you tell me about the dragon?" I asked, and blushed. The question came out of nowhere, really. Well, beside the whole talk about reclaiming Erebor, it came out f nowhere. "Sor-"

"Don't apologize for asking, you have every right to know. But not tonight," he told me gently, and I sighed once again, but this time it was from disappointment. He would never tell me at this rate. "Just not tonight."

"It's fine," I couldn't keep the disappointment out of my voice, no matter how much I tried. "Some other night is fine. Goodnight, then, Father."

"Goodnight, Kara," he voiced, and I curled up, him and the blankets keeping me warm as the night passed around us.

* * *

**I hope that was an okay chapter. I had a writers block and just wanted to get it done. As for those reading my other stories, I tried to post chapter 7 on Halo of the Ghost, but it failed. It may take a while for me to update again. Sorry!**

**The next chapter should have more action, be less boring and be longer. Still, I'd love to hear your comments, bad or good to help me improve. Thanks, and once again, sorry!**

**Tiger**


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